Beautiful Lady Rose, the fiercely independent mistress of Somerford, reluctantly agrees to hire a bold Viking warrior, Gunnar Olafson, and his mercenaries to protect her undefended lands. But although Gunnar takes her breath away with his steel-hard muscles and eyes afire with undisguised yearning she dares not trust him. But Gunnar is not what he seems. Posing as a hired soldier, he is duty-bound to expose Rose, whom his liege lord believes is plotting against him. Somerford is to be loyal Gunnar's reward, but he quickly realizes Rose is the true prize. He never expected to be bewitched by the exquisite beauty he is sworn to betray, and now he is discovering that her love is what he truly desires a need he must satisfy, even if dishonor is its price ...
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About the Author
Sara Bennett has always had an interest in history, and to survive a series of mind-numbing jobs, she turned to writing historical romance. She lives in an old house with her husband and two children in the state of Victoria, Australia, where she tries to keep the house and garden tidy, but rarely succeeds—she'd rather be writing or reading.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fun Romance,
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This review is from: The Rose and the Shield (Mass Market Paperback)
This was another great romance by Ms. Bennett. The Rose and the Shield is a follow up to Lily and the Sword and is set in England a year after the Norman invasion.Rose is the very strong and independent mistress of Somerford and it's lands. Her people have been under attack and she needs help but is afraid to ask for it from her overlord Radulf (Lily and the Sword) because she feels that this would be a sign of weakness and he would take the land away from her. Rose has a understandable distrust for men and this is the reason for her not wanting to ask for help. She sends a messenger out requesting mercenaries to come and assist her with those that are harassing her people. The message is intercepted by Radulf and he believes that she is planning treason so he sends his best soldier Gunner to Somerford with the promise that if Gunner can prove the treason Gunner can have Somerford. Gunner is tired of being a paid soldier and longs for home and hearth. He comes to Somerford determined to win the land and a place that he can call is own. What he does not plan on is the attraction that he feels for the mistress of Somerford and how that could effect his taking of the land. Soon he realizes that Rose is not the one with treason on their mind and that she is just as much in danger as he is. He becomes her shield and protects her from those that mean her harm. This is a great story and the characters are very easy to like. Gunner and Rose are the perfect complement to each other. I found this story to be a fast read and I look forward to the next novel by the author.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sparks Fly!,
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This review is from: The Rose and the Shield (Mass Market Paperback)
...high praise to THE ROSE AND THE SHIELD! Lady Rose is a fiercely independent woman who has striven to retain control of her lands in a male-dominated arena. Reluctant to approach her liege lord, Lord Radulf (from THE LILY AND THE SWORD) for help she instead hires Gunnar Olafson (son of Olaf and Gundren from THE LILY AND THE SWORD) and his band of mercenaries to protect Somerford Manor against raiders believe to be merefolk by her peopel. Unbeknownst to her, he is hired to spy on Lady Rose and expose her for treason. His reward will be Somerford Manor for himself. Upon first meeting Gunnar and Rose are attracted to each other. Gunnar is a hero to swoon over. Large in size and handsome in face he is frequently surrounded by ogling women. Described most vividly by Ms. Bennett, he is a Viking with blue eyes like the ocean, and long reddish hair. Rose finds herself under his sensual spell. He is not immune to her charms either. Gunnar initially doubts Roses innocence, and sees her as a conniving woman in cahoots with her knight. He soon realizes this is not the case, and Rose has ably handled the administration of her lands and people. The physical chemistry between these two characters sparks from the beginning. As the story progresses the love for each other matches their passion. Ms. Bennett does a wonderful job providing a passionate romance in 1072 England and stays consistent in this second book and follow up of THE LILY AND THE SWORD. Watch for more wonderful stories from Ms. Bennett in 2003. Ivo de Vesseys story will be called ONCE HE LOVES and released in April 03.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I liked this one a great deal until,
By
This review is from: The Rose and the Shield (Mass Market Paperback)
the end. It was far too abrupt and made their love, especially Rose's love for Gunnar, not ring true.
The issues between Gunnar and Rose are trust and, for her, love. She is used to the men in her using her as a pawn and being completely untrustworthy. Plus, she learned to reject love from a co-dependent mother. Gunnar is tired of his mercenary life and looks forward to a home of his own; unfortunately for him, Rose isn't the triator he thinks she is, so he's not comfortable taking her home as his reward for foiling the plot against his lord, Radulf (The Lily & the Sword). Since he's playing a role and therefore lying to Rose about who he is and his purposes there, trust again is a big issue. DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. I have no problems with Gunnar or his interactions with Rose. The problem with the book is that Rose doesn't even admit to herself that she loves Gunnar until the next to the last page. And while she accepts that she should have been more trusting, she doesn't tell him until the last page. A couple of "I love you's" and the book is over. There's not enough there to make the reader feel the truth of Rose's change of heart. Other than the abrupt, unsatisfying ending, the book held my attention well. Although I wasn't crazy about the dream device, everything else meshed together smoothly. The secondary romance for Gunnar's man Alfred was nice, and it was great to read more about characters from the first book and those featured in the third. Realistic details about distrust among the various peoples, too.
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Gunnar had been been prepared for similar chaos here at Somerford. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ghostly warrior, mercenary captain, copper braids, thin robe, manor court, copper hair Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Gunnar Olafson, Lady Rose, Lord Radulf, Somerford Manor, Sir Arno, Brother Mark, Miles de Vessey, Captain Olafson, Lord Fitzmorton, Burrow Mump, Somerford Keep, Lady of Somerford, Sir Miles, Sir Amo, King William, King's Sword, Smu Birr, Smu Brr, Great Odin, Lady Constance New!
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